Supporting means for straps and like articles



Jan. 18, 1955 F. F. FREID SUPPORTING MEANS FOR STRAPS AND THE LIKE ARTICLES Filed March 1. 1952 United States Patent Ofiice Patented Jan. 18, 1955 SUPPORTING MEANS FOR STRAPS AND LIKE ARTICLES Florence F. Freid, Bronx, N. Y.

Application March 1, 1952, Serial N 0. 274,378

2 Claims. (Cl. 2--2) This invention relates to means for supporting straps, in particular shoulder straps, of lingerie, and more particularly of brassieres, slips and other under garments for ladies.

It is one of the main objects of the present nvention to provide means facilitating the accommodation of a plurality of straps running across the shoulders of a person so as to bring about neat and tidy appearance and to protect the wearer against undue pressure and friction generally resulting from the employment of straps of various shapes and widths.

It is another object of the present invention to provide means aifording convenient manipulation of the straps and their anchoring on or within a support which is readily conformable to the configuration of a part of a persons body, such as a shoulder.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide means enveloping portions of a plurality of straps at one and the same location thereof and to securely hold the straps in place without slippage thereof relative to the support in lengthwise and crosswise directions of the straps.

A further object of the invention is to provide means rendering the possibility of guiding the straps into and out of the support, holding the straps together.

Yet another otject of the present invention is to provide means ensuring the positioning of the straps in superposed relation within a holder or support and simultaneously affording circulation of air through the holder in order to prevent perspiration of a persons body wearing the support. I

Still a further object of the present invention is to provide means affording a neat and comfortable support or envelope for a plurality of aligned and superposed straps which can be readily manipulated, whether the support is being worn on a persons body or not, and which is devoid of bulkiness or of projecting parts which would otherwise deleteriously aifect the appearance and utilisation of the holder or support.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide means for securely retaining the straps in predetermined position within the envelope or support and relative to the body part on which the straps are worn.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide means contributing to a considerable improvement in holding or supporting structures for straps, WhICh are light in weight, are preferably made from plastic or semiplastic materials, are compact, inexpensive to manufacture and are capable of being readily and easily appl ed without causing damage to ladies nails or fingers, which have enhanced saleable and commercial possibilities and may be used simultaneously for purposes of ornamentation and holding of decorations, such as corsages.

The above and other objects and features will become apparent from the following detailed description, reference being made to the drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 shows, in perspective, the application of the supporting means to a plurality of shoulder straps as worn by a person;

Fig. 2 shows a top plan view of the interior of the supporting means seen in Fig. 1, in open position;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the strap supporting means in closed position with straps extending therebeyond;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged, sectional view taken along lines 44 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged, sectional view taken along lines 5--5 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 shows a top plan view of the interior of the strap holding means made in accordance with the invention and showing a somewhat modified embodiment thereof;

Fig. 7 is a sectional view of the strap holding means of Fig. 6, in closed position, the section being taken along lines 7-7 of Fig. 6 and illustrates two straps in superposed position within said holding: means; and

Fig. 8 shows a top plan view of a still further modified form of strap holding means made in accordance with the invention and shown in open position.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, there is shown in Fig. l a plurality of shoulder straps 10, 10a arranged in superposed position and extending from a sleeve 11 and other under garments (not shown). These straps 10, 10a are held in position by a holder or strap support 12, details of which will be set forth hereinafter.

As can be seen in Fig. 2, holder or support 12 consists of a base 13 provided with spaced apart: ribs 14 between which are arranged openings 15. Base 13 is approximately of a width corresponding substantially to the average width of a shoulder strap. Further aflixed to the side edges of and laterally of the base 13 are wings or flaps 16, 17 which are so connected with base 13 that they have the tendency to flip inwardly toward the face 13a of the base 13, as more clearly seen in Fig. 3, in which support or holder 12 is shown in closed position. Wings or flaps 16, 17 carry at their respective inner faces a plurality of ribs 16a, 17a extending substantially intermediate ribs 14 of base 13 so that when shoulder straps 10, Na are disposed within the envelope or shelllike holder 12 when in closed condition, the straps are held against displacement within the holder 12 by the engagement thereof with respective ribs 14, 16a, 17a, as may be readily seen from the disclosure of Figs. 2 and 3.

Wings 16, 17 of the support 12 are provided at approximately midway of the length of said wings or flaps with complementary snap fasteners 18, .19 to retain the envelope-like holder 12 in closed position (Fig. 5). An extension or tab 20 may be utilized to manipulate the support 12 from its closed position and when placed on the shoulders of the wearer to open holder 12 and to release therefrom the shoulder straps 10, 10a.

It will be further recognized that the holder 12 may be made of any suitable material, such as velvet, plastic or plastic composition, or any other suitable material which readily conforms to the shape of the body part of the person to which it is applied, and may be so prepared that the friction with the skin of the wearer is practically non-existent. As may be further realized from Fig. 3, the top surface of the wings 16, 17 may be provided with ornaments, may carry initials of the wearer or may be adapted to hold and carry a corsage or any other desired decorative article.

Due to the formation of the wings 16, 17 with the edges 16b,.17b, it will be apparent that air circulation through the holder 12 and the openings 15 may be had" without any difliculties.

Fi 4 shows an enlarged sectional view through the envelope-like holder 12 and straps 10, 10a when retained within the holder 12 by means of ribs 14, 16a, 17a.

Figs. 6 and 8 show some variations of the shape of the holders 3% and 50, respectively. As can be realized from Fig. 7, the envelope like holder 30 carries a fixed button 31 which may be engaged by the upper wall 32' of the holder 30, whereby the button 31 is forced through an opening 33 provided in the tab 34 of the holder 30. This opening 33 forms a catch for the button 31, as may be realized from Figs. 6 and 7. Instead of ribs 14, as hereinabove explained, knob-like projections 35 are provided on base 36 and further openings 37 to permit air circulation through the base 36.

Further knobs or projections 38, 39 are provided on Wings 41), 41 in order to retain a plurality of straps 42, 43 in position within the shell-like holder 30 in a manner similar to that as explained with respect to holder 12, as shown in Fig. 3.

The retainment of the straps 42, 43 is etfectuated as illustrated in Fig. 7 wherein the projections or knobs 35 on base 36 and the projections 38, 39 assist in retaining the straps firmly within the flexible or conformable, envelope-like support 30.

Fig. 8 shows a construction 50 similar to that of Flg. 6 with clip or guide means 51, 52 extending from the base member 53, the latter being provided with ribs 54 of any suitable design, and openings 55 to permit circulation of air. The wings 56, 57 having suitable ribs 58, 59 may be closed to bear on the superposed straps (not shown). These Wings 56, 57 are held in closed position by a snap button or button and catch arrangement 60, 61 similar to that seen in Figs. or 7, whereby manipulation of the interengageable formation or button and catch arrangement 60, 61 may be brought about by means of tab 62, as may be readily understood.

The guides or clips 51, 52 may further aid in retaining the strap or straps in position and effectively prevent the displacement of the straps, even if the envelope-like holder 50 is in open position (Fig. 8). It will be recognized from Fig. 8 that the slotted clip or guide means 51, 52 are formed so that they open up only at opposite sides with respect to each other to prevent displacement of the straps under all circumstances.

It is well understood that the strap support as herein disclosed, may assume different shapes or configurations and may be provided with a base member having a roughened surface (instead of ribs etc.) to further the frictional contact between the straps and the support more effectively and to prevent slippage.

It is further to be noted that the wings or flaps attached or hinged to the base member may have indentations at their outermost ends in order to facilitate the swinging movement of the flaps relative to the base member. If the support is made from plastic, plastic composition or rubber, the folds about which these wings swing may be left unvulcanized or unhardened in order to facilitate manipulation of the wings or flaps relative to the base member.

As can be further seen from Fig. 3, the top surface of the holder may bear decorative designs made integral with the material of the holder. The material of the holder may be tinted or flesh-colored, if desired.

' It can thus be seen that there has been provided, in accordance with the present invention, a support for holding together a plurality of shoulder and like straps, comprising a flexible base member made of plastic material, flap means closable on said base member and adapted to spacedly overly same in closed position, means for closing said flap means in position on said base member whereby said straps may be enclosed within the space defined by said base member and said flap means, and respective gripping means on said base member and said flap means for frictionally engaging and retaining said straps within said space.

The aforesaid flap means may be substantially triangularly shaped with the base substantially coinciding with the lateral ends of said base member and the apex of each flap means remote from said base member, complementary means respectively arranged adjacent the apex of said flap means-for closing the latter on said base member, tab means extending from one of said apexes for facilitating manipulation of one of said flap means relative to the other of said flap means for closing said complementary means, and means on the surface of said base member facing said flap means for enhancing frictional engagement of said straps therewith may be further provided.

It can thus be seen that there has been provided in accordance with the invention a support for shoulder straps and like articles which is characterized in particular by an elongated, substantially flat base member made from rubber-like material and having lateral side edges, and flap means integral with and hinged to said side edges, respectively, said flap means being provided with closure means complementary to each other and positioned substantially midway of the length of said flap means, whereby said fiap means may be swung in substantially lateral alignment with said base member and in superposed and transverse position to the latter in open and closed positions, respectively, of said support, said base member being provided with a plurality of openings and further with friction enhancing integral independent ribs positioned adjacent said openings, whereby one or more straps may be placed on said elongated base member in lengthwise direction of the latter for retention on said base member bysaid friction enhancing ribs and said flap means in closed position of the latter on said base member, said openings serving for air circulation through and for attachment of said base member to a carrier strap, said flap means overlapping each other adjacent said closure means in said closed position of said flap means.

Although several embodiments of the invention have been described and shown in the drawing, it should be noted that theinvention may be realized in modified form and adaptations of the arrangements herein disclosed may be made as readily occur to persons skilled in the art without constituting a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the objects and in the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is:

1. A support for shoulder straps and like ribbons comprising an elongated, substantially fiat base member made from rubber-like material and having lateral side edges, and flap means integral with and hinged to said side edges, respectively, said flap means being provided with closure means complementary to each other and positioned substantially midway of the length of said flap means, whereby said flap means may be swung in substantially lateral alignment with said base member and in superposed and transverse position to the latter in 'openand closed positions, respectively, of said support, said base member being provided with a plurality of openings and further with friction enhancing integral independent ribs positioned adjacent said openings, whereby one or more straps may be placed on said elongated base member in lengthwise direction of the latter for retention on said base member by said friction enhancing ribs and said flap means in closed position of the latter on said base member, said openings serving for air circulation through and for attachment of said base member to a carrier a strap, said flap means overlapping each-other adjacent said closure means in said closed position of said flap means.

2. A support according to claim 1, wherein said flap means are provided at the inner surfaces thereof with ribs arranged in staggered relation to said ribs of said base member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 101,211 Bartholomew Mar. 29, 1870 714,390 McGrath Nov. 25, 1902 859,797 Bechtold July 9, 1907 958,249 Hirsh May 17, 1910 1,280,237 King Oct. 1, 1918 1,374,971 Wiener Apr. 19, 1921 1,493,170 Van Raalte May 6, 1924 1,513,522 Ross Oct. 28, 1924 1,563,746 Hirsch et a1 Dec. 1, 1925 1,599,157 Wilson Sept. 7, 1926 1,959,505 Stader May 22, 1934 2,551,255 Engel May 1, 1951 2,587,101 Blalock et al Feb. 26, 1952 2,589,755 Ward et a1 Mar. 18, 1952 2,643,380 Blair June 30, 1953 

